I was unaware. The story is they were using it to prevent sparks from cutting pipe. They were lying in the street. That is why they got arrested. They didn't beat anyone. they bound themselves together

No this is what the police used to hide the arrest of people from the media and the general public. Whether or not you support OWS this seems to me to be a legitimate question. I have seen police use excessive force in arresting people in midtown Manhattan many times over the years. I seldom knew anything about the people they were arresting and it is certainly concievable that these were very antisocial and dangerous people. That said, it was always hard for me to understand why even the most violent criminal had to be publicly beaten after they had been handcuffed and subdued.